Yuen Woo-ping

Choreographer and director

Hong Kong choreographer and director, the most influential creator of screen fighting.

Quick Facts

Country of OriginHong Kong

Biography

Son of the actor and master Yuen Siu-tien, he grew up amid both Hong Kong film and traditional kung fu. His choreography shaped the genre from Drunken Master through The Matrix to Kill Bill; its signature is legibility — the viewer always knows what is happening.

Associated Martial Arts

Kung FuNotable figure→

The collective name for hundreds of Chinese fighting traditions. It has no founder: Bodhidharma is a legend spread only from the early 20th century.

Filmography

A screen role does not mean the person actually practises the art — that is listed above.

Kung Fu Hustle2004

fight choreographer

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon2000

fight choreographer

Iron Monkey1993

director

Tai Chi Master1993

director

Drunken Master1978

director